Squamish fuel spill fouls estuary, Howe Sound

Two-thirds of fuel recovered but estuary hard hit

“It’s like déjà vu all over again,” Minister of Environment
Barry Penner said in Squamish Saturday afternoon.

Penner had just completed a helicopter tour of Howe Sound and
Squamish estuary, hard hit by Friday’s 30,000-litre fuel spill from a Norwegian
cargo ship. Penner was referring to the fact that the spill occurred on the
one-year anniversary of a CN train derailment and caustic soda spill into the
Cheakamus River.

Penner said the spill was not huge but still significant.

“I was surprised at how far south and how quickly some of the
fuel managed to make it in 24 hours. I could see it along the eastern side of
Highway 99, on shore in little bays and in bigger blobs out in Howe Sound,”
Penner said.

The 200-metre long Westwood Anette, guided by a B.C. coast
pilot, was reversing away from port in a restrictive narrow area between docks
and dikes about 2:30 p.m. Friday when strong south winds pushed her back toward
port. Although dock fenders were in place, dolphin pilings punched two,
six-inch diameter holes through the steel-plated hull, puncturing one fuel tank
in the process.

Kiteboard instructor Alex Noke-Smith, 34, was teaching a
student 100 metres from Squamish’s port terminal at the time of the spill. He
initially thought a wind shadow was approaching.

“Then all of a sudden the waves went from whitecaps to black
and I was like, we have to get out of here right away.”

Noke-Smith, the student and another kiteboarder were caught in
the bunker sea fuel that spilled from the vessel after it was swept back into
terminal pilings. Coated in oil that seeped under their suits, the kiteboarders
made it safely to shore but were taken to hospital, treated for eye irritation
and cleaned up.

By Sunday morning, two-thirds of the spill had been recovered
from around the Squamish dock area with vacuum pumps and portable and
ship-based skimmers.

A portion of the nearby Squamish estuary, home to Canada geese,
cormorants, herons and mallards, was hard hit. Bunker sea fuel, which does not
evaporate or decompose as rapidly as diesel fuel, could be seen one kilometre
from the ship reaching hundreds of metres up estuary side channels. A flock of
80-100 oil-coated Canada Geese gathered in mud flats amidst an overwhelming
smell of bunker fuel.

Brian Clark, a Ministry of Environment biologist leading the
response efforts, said there were no reports of dead birds from the spill and
asked the public to report any distressed birds to a designated telephone line
put in place Saturday, but asked that oil-soaked birds not be approached or
handled. Plans are being discussed as how best to capture affected birds and
have them cleaned at a wildlife refuge.